University of Pisa Confers Honorary Masters Degree to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Pisa Congress Hall, 21 September 2017. Photo/Olivier Adam

Pisa, ITALY: The University of Pisa, Italy’s largest public research university presented His Holiness the Dalai Lama an honorary Masters degree on Thursday this week.

In a ceremony held at the Pisa Congress hall, Rector Professor Paolo Mancarella conferred on the Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Master’s Degree Honoris Causa in Clinical and Health Psychology.

The honorary Degree is in recognition of His Holiness’ outstanding contribution to the understanding of psychology and for his inspirational guidance and leadership in promoting the study of Buddhist Science.

Rector Professor Paolo Mancarella said “This day is also being celebrated worldwide as International Day of Peace and how befitting is the fact that we are honouring a Noble Peace Laureate on the occasion.”

Professor Angelo Gemignami called His Holiness “the most eminent guide of Tibetan Buddhism and a proponent of the two pillars of Tibetan Buddhism—compassion and wisdom.”

His Holiness thanked the University of Pisa for the honour and pledged to dedicate further towards fostering an understanding of science of mind.

“I count myself as half a Buddhist monk and half a scientist. This honorary degree gives me encouragement. I am now 82 years old and I pledge that in my remaining15-20 years I will dedicate myself to further fostering an understanding of the science of mind,” His Holiness said, in his acceptance speech.

His Holiness also presided over a neuroscience symposium titled the Mindscience of Reality, along with the Rector Professor Paolo Mancarella and Buddhist scholar, Matthieu Ricard, popularly known as the world’s happiest man.

More than 75 universities spanning across the world have bestowed honours on His Holiness the Dalai Lama – Ulaanbaatar State University, Mongolia in 2015, Macalaster University, USA in 2014, University of Oregon, USA in 2013 and many more.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to during the ceremony at the University of Pisa, Italy, 21 September 2017. Photo/Olivier Adam

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with faculty members before the ceremony to award His Holiness an honorary degree at the University of Pisa, Italy. Photo/Olivier Adam